Just a few moments ago, during Google’s I/O conference, some new capabilities for the Play Store have been announced. One of the most interesting of all is for gaming, and it aims at allowing users to play their favorite games across multiple platforms and with their Google + friends. The service, called Google Play Game will start rolling out today, so in no time, we will see games come out that are capable of Google+ multiplayer and much more.

Google Play Game Services – Ready for Developers

Google Play Game will provide users with a number of features aimed at making Android gaming more attractive. Many users will be thrilled by the possibility of cross-platform gaming, but that is not all, here are the top features that Google Play Game Services will bring:

Real-Time Multiplayer via Google + – Gamers will be able to invite their Google + friends to play multiplayer games from within the game itself. This feature will be available for all Android users, but unlike the other features, it will not be cross-platform.

Achievements and Leaderboards – If your friends are playing the same games, then you will be able to compare achievements and scores via the leaderboards. This service will be available as cross-platform service, so not matter if you are an Android or an iOS user, you will still be able to compare scores with others.

Cloud Save – Most users own several gadgets, such as smartphones and tablets, and for serious gamers the possibility of syncing progress from a game across multiple devices would be awesome. Today, at Google I/O, this possibility became reality, as Cloud Save will enable gamers to save their progress on one device and pick up where they left off from another device.

These features will be available starting today, but keep in mind that Google Play Game Services is not a stand-alone app, but rather a feature available for developers to implement in their games. This means that not all games will support these features, but rather those who are built with multiplayer in mind. As Google product manager Greg Hartrell said:

We won’t make it a mandatory exercise, or have any certification process around it

Nevertheless, serious developers will probably add these features to all the well known games that are out there now, for Android, iOS or WEB interfaces.

With the implementation of these APIs, Google is trying to unite the mobile gaming world and allow users of all Android devices (from Android 2.2 Froyo and above), using both smartphones or tablets as well as iOS users, to enjoy their favorite games. The concept is great, and if you ask us, long overdue.

Ionut Nedelcu Author I often wonder, where is technology heading? What do all of these advances mean for us and for our future? I sometimes miss the days when I didn’t know how to use a floppy disk, or how a computer CPU works, but now, until I find an answer to my questions, I’ll keep tracking these advances and show everything I find to those who share my interests.